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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mug · fan · bulb · date · root · chip · land · racket

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — ground
  5. mug — a cup
  6. land — to come down
  7. chip — for betting
  8. root — of a word
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chip — to eat
  14. land — a country
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. date — the fruit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mug — a face
  24. fan — a supporter

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