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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. hand — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chip — for betting
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chip — to eat
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — help
  14. row — a line
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. spring — of water
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rule — a law
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. spring — a coil

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