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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. chip — for betting
  5. rule — a law
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. rule — government
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. roll — a list
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. roll — a cake
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. court — of law
  24. prune — to trim

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