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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: bound · lie · chip · fan · bulb · row · pitch · hide

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bulb — for light
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bound — tied together
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chip — to eat
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. row — a line
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bound — certain
  24. chip — for betting

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