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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. face — part of the head
  3. net — in sport
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. face — to confront
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kid — to tease
  12. face — to point toward
  13. net — for catching
  14. kid — child
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. current — electric
  20. current — of water
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bulb — for light

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