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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: bulb · ground · cue · trunk · chip · pitcher · lash · land

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. bulb — of a plant
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — for pool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — to come down
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ground — the earth
  12. land — ground
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ground — crushed
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. land — a country
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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