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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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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: stand · bulb · cold · dip · mark · foot · chip · race

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. mark — a grade
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. race — the arms race
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chip — to eat
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. stand — to bear
  16. race — a contest
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. cold — an illness
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — humankind
  22. mark — a trace
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — for betting

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