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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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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 · cap · bowl · chip · cabinet · trunk · fine · pound

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bowl — to roll

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