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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: bulb · present · chip · tear · club · racket

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. tear — to rip
  3. club — for dancing
  4. present — the time now
  5. chip — for betting
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — a gift
  12. club — for golf
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — a group
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. present — there

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