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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bass — low music
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — a container
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tube — the underground
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a match
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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