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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cell — in biology
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — a container
  10. pop — soda
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tube — the underground
  16. bank — for money
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pop — music
  19. rest — a break
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rest — what's left
  24. cell — a phone

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