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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. game — a match
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tube — a container
  10. capital — a city
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. plane — a tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pop — to visit
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bulb — for light
  24. capital — money

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