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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. pop — soda
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chip — for betting
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pop — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — of a king
  18. chip — to eat
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pit — in a race

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