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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — the underground
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mark — a trace
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — to come down
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. land — ground
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. land — a country
  24. tube — a container

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