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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: bulb · jam · chip · pitcher · chest · foot · rule · bowl

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — a box
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — government
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rule — a law
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. jam — a tight spot

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