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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: dip · chip · spell · bulb · wind · pitch · nail · pound

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — letters
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. spell — magic
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pound — a weight
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chip — in a computer

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