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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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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: cap · pit · wind · bulb · row · foot · hide · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — a measure
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. chip — for betting
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. row — a line
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wind — moving air
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — a hole
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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