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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. chip — to eat
  3. dip — to sink
  4. field — for sport
  5. march — the month
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bulb — for light
  8. current — electric
  9. field — farmland
  10. march — the month
  11. board — to get on
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. board — a committee
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. field — a subject
  24. march — music

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