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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. chip — for betting
  4. can — a tin
  5. stock — shares
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. stock — goods
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rock — a stone
  13. spring — the season
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. chip — to eat
  20. game — a match
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rock — music
  24. spring — of water

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