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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. degree — from a university
  5. chip — to eat
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. file — a tool
  13. rule — government
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rule — a law
  18. degree — temperature
  19. file — a document
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. degree — an amount
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bound — certain

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