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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kid — child
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pit — a hole
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cell — a phone
  9. craft — boats
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — to eat
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cell — in biology
  24. squash — the sport

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