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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: pound · sharp · plane · chip · bulb · foot · deal · wind

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wind — moving air
  5. deal — to handle
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. foot — a measure
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. plane — a tool
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. chip — to eat

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