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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cell — in biology
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — a container
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bass — low music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. tube — the underground
  24. deal — an agreement

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