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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: row · pound · current · bulb · scale · bound · jam · chip

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. chip — for betting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. current — electric
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bound — certain
  13. current — of water
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bound — tied together
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bound — obliged
  21. current — happening now
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — to hit hard

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