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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bank — for money
  6. rock — a stone
  7. field — a subject
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bulb — for light
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bank — of a river
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — to come down
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. land — ground
  20. land — a country
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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