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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chip — to eat
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. cell — in biology
  10. present — the time now
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — shares
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cell — a phone
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. last — final

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