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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tube — the underground
  4. dip — to sink
  5. tube — a container
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — to eat
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bore — to tire
  10. swing — music
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — humankind
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — the arms race
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bore — to drill
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. swing — in golf
  21. race — a contest
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. swing — to play on

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