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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: kid · chip · deal · bulb · mate · object · press · stock

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. chip — to eat
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mate — to breed
  7. kid — to tease
  8. object — an aim
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. bulb — for light
  11. object — a thing
  12. chip — for betting
  13. press — to push
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mate — a partner
  17. press — newspapers
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. stock — shares
  20. stock — goods
  21. press — a publisher
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mate — a friend
  24. bulb — of a plant

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