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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. game — wild animals
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — for money
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bank — for money
  16. wound — an injury
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. game — a match
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — to tire

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