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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 120 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: bulb · plane · coach · march · bank · chip · tear · cue

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. march — the month
  8. tear — to rip
  9. march — music
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bank — for money
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bank — for money
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bank — of a river
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tear — from crying
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. plane — a tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. march — the month

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