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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. rest — a break
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — what's left
  15. charge — a price
  16. roll — a cake
  17. field — farmland
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. roll — a list
  20. field — a subject
  21. tube — the underground
  22. field — for sport
  23. bound — obliged
  24. calf — a young animal

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