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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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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: game · file · sharp · tube · chip · roll · rush · bulb

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. chip — for betting
  4. game — a match
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tube — a container
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — to eat
  17. file — a tool
  18. game — wild animals
  19. tube — the underground
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. file — a document
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. file — a line of people

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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