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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chip — for betting
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kid — child
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — in a road
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. root — of a plant
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. root — of a word
  15. scale — in music
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. scale — for weighing

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