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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. charge — in control
  5. cap — of ice
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pit — in a race
  8. snap — to click
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chip — to eat
  12. charge — a price
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cap — a hat
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. charge — electricity
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. snap — to speak sharply

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com