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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · file · chip · band · pitcher · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — hasty
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. band — a music group
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rash — a series
  10. band — a ring
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a document
  15. chip — for betting
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a tool

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