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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.

Words on the sheet
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: file · chip · cabinet · bulb · row · hand · bay · bass

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hand — help
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — to eat
  21. bass — the fish
  22. hand — in cards
  23. row — a line
  24. row — to paddle

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