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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 120 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: bulb · face · plane · chip · straw · cabinet · stock · scale

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. stock — goods
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. chip — for betting
  7. scale — in music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. chip — to eat
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. face — part of the head
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. face — to confront
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stock — shares
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  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