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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — the month
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ground — crushed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. tube — a container
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tube — the underground
  24. safe — a strongbox

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