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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. press — to push
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. net — for catching
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. net — in sport
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. net — after costs
  24. leaves — lets stay

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