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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. dip — to sink
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — an aim
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. content — the amount
  11. object — a thing
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chip — to eat
  15. content — happy
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. chip — for betting
  23. object — to protest
  24. bulb — for light

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