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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: field · bulb · suit · cabinet · board · chip · mine · pound

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. field — for sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. suit — to fit
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chip — to eat
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — for betting
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. board — to get on
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cabinet — ministers

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