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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: stem · chip · ground · bulb · wave · fan · craft · object

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ground — the earth
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ground — a position
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — a skill
  18. object — a thing
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. object — an aim
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bulb — for light
  24. craft — boats

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