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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ball — a great time
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. tube — the underground
  12. ball — a dance
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. drill — a practice
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. tube — a container
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. drill — army training
  20. swing — to play on
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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