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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: capital · bear · straw · bass · chip · bulb · fine · stem

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. fine — all right
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fine — high quality
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bass — low music
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. straw — dry grass

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