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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — to eat
  7. bore — to tire
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chip — for betting
  13. charge — in control
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to drill
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. charge — a price
  23. cell — in biology
  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