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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · snap · bulb · object · mouse · chip · drill · game

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. object — to protest
  3. drill — a practice
  4. game — a match
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chip — to eat
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. chip — for betting
  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