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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 120 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: kid · bulb · bound · season · prune · net · chip · wave

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. net — for catching
  5. bound — certain
  6. season — of the year
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kid — child
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. season — in sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — tied together
  19. kid — to tease
  20. net — after costs
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. net — in sport
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bulb — of a plant

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