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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. chip — for betting
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chip — to eat
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. vault — a safe
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. dip — to sink

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