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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 116 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: fine · clip · cabinet · chip · bulb · bear · trunk · pop

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bear — the animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — for betting
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. clip — for paper
  9. pop — music
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pop — to visit
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — for light
  23. clip — a video
  24. pop — soda

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