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

Word bank: snap · bank · chip · bulb · field · present

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — a gift
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. field — farmland
  5. bulb — for light
  6. field — a subject
  7. bank — for money
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chip — for betting
  12. present — there
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. field — for sport
  15. present — the time now
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — of a plant

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