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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. season — of the year
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. season — in sport
  10. bass — low music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tube — the underground
  14. spring — the season
  15. craft — boats
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spring — of water
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — the fish
  23. cue — a signal
  24. season — to add flavour

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