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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. firm — steady
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. charge — a price
  7. firm — decided
  8. race — the arms race
  9. tube — the underground
  10. race — a contest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. firm — a company
  13. charge — electricity
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mug — to rob
  17. race — humankind
  18. mug — a cup
  19. tube — a container
  20. charge — in control
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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