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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: bound · face · degree · bulb · nail · game · rule · chip

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bound — certain
  8. chip — to eat
  9. face — to confront
  10. rule — government
  11. bound — tied together
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bulb — for light
  14. game — wild animals
  15. degree — from a university
  16. game — a match
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rule — a law
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. degree — an amount

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