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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. bulb — for light
  5. march — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — to eat
  14. present — a gift
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — in football
  22. present — there
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. present — the time now

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