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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. chip — to eat
  4. swing — music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. capital — a city
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rule — a law
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — money
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. swing — to play on
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rule — government
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. swing — in golf

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