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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pass — a permit
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lean — thin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. net — after costs
  13. scale — in music
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pop — music
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. net — for catching
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pop — soda
  24. lean — to rest against

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