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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bat — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. net — in sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. net — after costs
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. net — for catching
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pit — in a race
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. board — a committee
  24. chip — in a computer

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