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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 116 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. game — wild animals
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — a container
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — money
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. game — a match
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chip — for betting
  24. rush — to hurry

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