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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 · bound · rock · land · rule · chip · fan · cabinet

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rule — government
  4. bound — certain
  5. land — to come down
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. land — ground
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — a law
  19. bound — obliged
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — for betting
  23. land — a country
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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