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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — a cake
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. kid — to tease
  15. chip — for betting
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. stem — to come from
  18. march — the month
  19. chip — to eat
  20. march — music
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. march — the month
  23. kid — child
  24. wax — to grow

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