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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: deal · pass · chip · bulb · bark · mine · bound · saw

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bound — certain
  7. saw — the tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mine — for digging
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bulb — for light
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bark — to shout
  24. mine — belonging to me

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