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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 116 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. field — farmland
  10. mine — for digging
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mate — to breed
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mate — a friend
  18. chip — to eat
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mate — a partner
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — a division
  24. mine — belonging to me

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