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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. net — for catching
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cap — of ice
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rule — government
  10. net — after costs
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cap — a lid
  13. chip — for betting
  14. cap — a hat
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — a law
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. net — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — a permit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bulb — of a plant

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