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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: rule · charge · mate · pop · fan · bulb · game · dip

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — in control
  7. pop — soda
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pop — music
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — a friend
  17. charge — a price
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. rule — government
  23. bulb — for light
  24. game — wild animals

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