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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 124 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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. date — the fruit
  3. present — a gift
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — for betting
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stock — shares
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. stock — goods

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