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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 chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. chip — to eat
  3. rule — a law
  4. object — an aim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. ball — a dance
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. chip — for betting
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. rule — government
  19. object — to protest
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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