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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. last — to go on
  3. season — in sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. season — of the year
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — finally
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rush — hurry
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. last — final
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chip — for betting

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