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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — a container
  3. field — a subject
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. field — farmland
  6. bulb — for light
  7. charge — a price
  8. field — for sport
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bulb — for light
  13. charge — in control
  14. ball — a great time
  15. scale — size or range
  16. rule — a law
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. scale — in music
  20. object — a thing
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tube — the underground
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rule — government

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