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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mate — to breed
  7. object — an aim
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. game — a match
  10. mate — a friend
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — goods
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mate — a partner
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wave — with your hand

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