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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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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: stick · kid · bear · track · ruler · wound · bulb · chip

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. track — a path
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wound — an injury
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chip — to eat
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bulb — for light
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. kid — child
  23. track — a song
  24. wound — an injury

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