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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 · last · chip · dip · capital · wake · tube · squash

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. capital — a city
  4. chip — to eat
  5. dip — to sink
  6. tube — a container
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. last — finally
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bulb — for light
  14. squash — the sport
  15. capital — money
  16. chip — for betting
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. last — final
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — for light

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