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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cap — of ice
  8. tube — a container
  9. file — a document
  10. tube — the underground
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wake — a trail
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pitch — completely

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