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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — high quality
  15. clip — a video
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — all right
  24. fan — a supporter

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