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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: press · pit · pound · kid · nail · bulb · chip · stock

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pit — in a race
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stock — shares
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. stock — goods
  19. kid — to tease
  20. press — to push
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. kid — child

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