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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pit — in a race
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chip — for betting
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. snap — to click

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