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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: game · bear · chip · pitch · nail · lash · cold · bulb

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cold — not warm
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — for light

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