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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: bound · bulb · tube · stand · press · cap · cue · chip

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tube — the underground
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — to eat
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. cap — a lid
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — certain
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — a container
  18. bound — tied together
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. cue — for pool
  24. press — to push

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