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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rule — a law
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. dip — to sink
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. march — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. rule — government
  17. march — the month
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bulb — for light
  22. march — the month
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. band — a rubber band

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