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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 120 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. craft — boats
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a skill
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. net — for catching
  14. staff — employees
  15. tube — the underground
  16. net — after costs
  17. tube — a container
  18. chip — for betting
  19. field — for sport
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. chip — to eat
  24. field — farmland

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