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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. band — a ring
  3. club — a group
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a music group
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bound — certain
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bound — obliged
  13. club — for golf
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. race — a contest
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. race — the arms race
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. race — humankind
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — to come from

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