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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. can — a tin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. game — wild animals
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. rash — hasty
  10. game — a match
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — a hole
  23. chip — for betting
  24. can — a tin

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