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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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468
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: pop · leaves · bore · bulb · chip · present · pitcher · file

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pop — soda
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a tool
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — a gift
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a document
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. pop — music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. present — the time now
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. present — there
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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