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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — a stone
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. hand — help
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bat — the animal
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. clip — a video
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — in control
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. clip — for paper
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. chip — for betting
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. clip — to cut
  24. hand — in cards

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