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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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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: saw · rule · chip · bound · bulb · mate · pit · kid

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bound — tied together
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rule — a law
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bound — certain
  14. chip — to eat
  15. kid — child
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pit — a hole
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rule — government
  22. bound — obliged
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pit — in a race

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