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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bulb — for light
  4. date — the fruit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — for betting
  14. board — a committee
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. kid — to tease
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — a permit
  19. board — to get on
  20. stem — to come from
  21. kid — child
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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