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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tube — a container
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. game — a match
  10. mine — for digging
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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