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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  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. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. tube — a container
  7. roll — a cake
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pass — a permit
  12. sharp — clever
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. roll — a list
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. tube — in a tire
  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