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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. swing — to play on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. scale — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pound — a weight
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bass — low music
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bass — the fish
  21. tube — a container
  22. swing — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. leaves — of a tree

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