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

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. capital — money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. march — music
  12. capital — a city
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. tube — a container
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. march — the month
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. trunk — of a car

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