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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — to eat
  7. club — for golf
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. staff — employees
  11. tear — to rip
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. staff — a stick
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. tear — from crying
  20. club — for dancing
  21. toast — bread
  22. chip — for betting
  23. tear — from crying
  24. club — a group

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