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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cold — an illness
  7. chip — to eat
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bore — to drill
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. craft — a skill
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitch — completely
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — in a computer

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