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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: net · bulb · bay · chip · temple · bound · mate · stick

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. mate — to breed
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. net — for catching
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bound — certain
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — for betting
  24. temple — side of the head

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