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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chip — to eat
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. land — to come down
  13. degree — temperature
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. land — ground
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — a hint
  21. chip — for betting
  22. degree — an amount
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. land — a country

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