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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 116 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. tube — a container
  4. charge — a price
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pop — to visit
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pop — soda
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. chip — to eat
  13. kid — to tease
  14. tube — the underground
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. kid — child
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — to hit hard

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