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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chip — for betting
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. hand — help
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rock — music
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. chip — in a computer

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