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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — to visit
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pop — soda
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pop — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. game — a match
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. chip — for betting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — to eat
  20. mug — a face
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mug — a cup
  24. hide — animal skin

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