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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a hat
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. tube — the underground
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bass — low music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. dip — to sink
  13. cap — a lid
  14. tube — a container
  15. key — in music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. key — for a lock
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bulb — for light

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