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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. squash — to crush
  5. toast — bread
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pit — in a race
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bulb — for light
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fine — high quality
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cell — a phone
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. fine — all right

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