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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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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: present · chip · row · net · plane · bulb · court · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. row — a line
  3. plane — a tool
  4. net — for catching
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bulb — for light
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — of law
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — music
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. court — for sport
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. chip — to eat
  18. net — in sport
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. row — to paddle
  21. net — after costs
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — the time now

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