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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: board · date · mug · dip · chip · pitch · bulb · pop

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. dip — to sink
  6. date — the fruit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bulb — for light
  10. mug — a cup
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mug — a face
  13. board — to get on
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pop — to visit
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — to rob
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. board — a committee
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — in a computer

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