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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — of ice
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mug — a cup
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chip — for betting
  8. court — for sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bulb — for light
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. court — of a king
  13. mug — a face
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cap — a hat
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. suit — clothes
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. row — a line
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. court — of law
  24. chip — to eat

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