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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — after costs
  3. game — wild animals
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. net — for catching
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lean — thin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. net — in sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. game — a match
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. fall — to drop
  24. toast — bread

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