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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. firm — a company
  5. bank — for money
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. firm — steady
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kid — child
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. prune — to trim
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — a container
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kid — to tease
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pound — a weight

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