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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: bulb · ruler · can · chip · fall · snap · bowl · pitcher

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. can — to be able to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. snap — to click
  7. fall — to drop
  8. chip — to eat
  9. fall — the season
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chip — for betting
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. can — a tin
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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