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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 · saw · chip · present · cell · nail · object · date

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — in biology
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. present — a gift
  8. bulb — for light
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cell — a phone
  12. present — the time now
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. chip — for betting
  15. object — an aim
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. present — there
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — for a hammer

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