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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 116 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: chip · capital · march · deal · bulb · hand · bore · lean

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — thin
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. march — the month
  11. hand — help
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lean — to bend
  14. deal — to handle
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. capital — a city
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. capital — money
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. hand — in cards

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