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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: bulb · mug · chip · pop · hide · saw · bound · fork

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bound — certain
  5. chip — for betting
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fork — in a road
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pop — soda
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pop — music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. hide — animal skin

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