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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. saw — the tool
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. land — to come down
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rash — a series
  14. land — a country
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. shower — rain
  17. pop — soda
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. land — ground
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rash — hasty

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