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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 120 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 · bulb · chest · stand · deal · cabinet · wind · chip

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pound — a weight
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chip — for betting
  8. deal — to handle
  9. chest — a box
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wind — moving air
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wind — moving air
  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