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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — for catching
  5. scale — in music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. net — after costs
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — a container
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. net — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. object — a thing
  21. bound — certain
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bound — obliged
  24. object — to protest

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