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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 · pass · foot · staff · chip · game · band · bulb

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. band — a ring
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bound — tied together
  6. band — a music group
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bound — certain
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bound — obliged
  16. chip — to eat
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — for light
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. foot — a measure
  23. staff — employees
  24. game — wild animals

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