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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stock — goods
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. tube — a container
  16. stock — shares
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal

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