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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: bulb · bear · chip · net · leaves · board · tube · fan

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. net — for catching
  8. board — a committee
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. tube — a container
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. board — to get on
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. net — in sport
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. net — after costs

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