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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. firm — steady
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. firm — decided
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitch — completely
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — a company
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. squash — to crush
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mouse — the animal

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