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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — a trail
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rock — music

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