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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. content — the amount
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. bulb — for light
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. prune — to trim
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. tube — a container
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — for light
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mate — a friend
  18. content — happy
  19. mate — to breed
  20. tube — the underground
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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