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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: race · straw · chip · plane · game · calf · pound · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. race — a contest
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. race — the arms race
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. chip — to eat
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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