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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 120 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. object — a thing
  4. bulb — for light
  5. court — for sport
  6. chip — for betting
  7. plane — a tool
  8. chip — to eat
  9. last — to go on
  10. bulb — for light
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. last — final
  15. ground — a position
  16. object — an aim
  17. court — of a king
  18. last — finally
  19. object — to protest
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ground — the earth
  22. court — of law
  23. kick — in football
  24. plane — an aircraft

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