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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — to grow
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tube — a container
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. spring — the season
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pitch — completely
  18. bat — the animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. spring — a coil
  21. staff — a stick
  22. spring — of water
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. tube — the underground

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