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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. swing — to play on
  5. tube — a container
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rock — a stone
  11. swing — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — music

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