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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — a cup
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — a break
  13. net — in sport
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mug — a face
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — to rob
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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