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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
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: land · stick · press · pop · chip · key · bulb · snap

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pop — music
  11. land — ground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chip — to eat
  15. snap — to click
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. pop — soda
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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