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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to sink
  6. capital — money
  7. club — for golf
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — the fish
  10. club — a group
  11. drill — the tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. chip — for betting
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. root — the cause
  21. bass — low music
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — a city

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