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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — for betting
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — the underground
  7. object — a thing
  8. rock — music
  9. tube — a container
  10. object — an aim
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. row — a line
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. lean — thin
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — a measure
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. object — to protest
  24. lean — to bend

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