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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tube — a container
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — to be able to
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bass — the fish
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — low music
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — a coil
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. can — a tin
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. tube — the underground
  23. spring — of water
  24. bass — the instrument

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