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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · present · bulb · chest · nail · chip · ground · march

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ground — a position
  4. chest — a box
  5. march — the month
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — there
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. march — the month
  13. ground — crushed
  14. march — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. present — a gift
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. present — the time now
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. chip — for betting

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