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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 124 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fine — all right
  3. wound — an injury
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chip — for betting
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — music
  16. craft — a skill
  17. rock — a stone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pop — soda
  20. craft — boats
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — an injury
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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