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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. race — humankind
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. kid — child
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. content — the amount
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. race — a contest
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pit — a hole
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. race — the arms race
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bulb — for light
  22. content — happy
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bulb — of a plant

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