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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: dip · bear · firm · bulb · toast · chip · cold · race

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. race — the arms race
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. firm — steady
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cold — an illness
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. race — humankind
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. race — a contest
  17. bear — the animal
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cold — not warm
  22. toast — bread
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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