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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. net — after costs
  4. band — a ring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. net — for catching
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. band — a music group
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — in sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — a sauce

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