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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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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bass — low music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mug — to rob
  15. pop — music
  16. mug — a face
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bound — certain
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bulb — for light

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