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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 124 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rash — a series
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. drill — army training
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — to eat
  22. drill — the tool
  23. object — to protest
  24. dip — to sink

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