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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: season · chip · deal · dip · land · bowl · bulb · rule

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. land — a country
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rule — a law
  6. rule — government
  7. chip — for betting
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. dip — to sink
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. deal — to handle
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. season — in sport
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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