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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. rock — music
  3. chip — to eat
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — in sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. kick — in football
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. net — for catching
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. net — after costs
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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