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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: stand · chip · bulb · season · bay · jam · bound · mine

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. season — of the year
  4. stand — to bear
  5. season — in sport
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bound — obliged
  11. chip — for betting
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bound — certain
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bulb — of a plant

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