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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. can — a tin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. bound — obliged
  11. content — the amount
  12. chip — for betting
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bound — certain
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. content — happy
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. saw — the tool

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