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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · pop · land · bulb · file · bat · squash · bay

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pop — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chip — to eat
  7. land — a country
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. file — a tool
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. land — to come down
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bat — the animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pop — soda
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. land — ground
  22. file — a document
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bulb — for light

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