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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.

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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. ball — a dance
  4. file — a tool
  5. tube — a container
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — the underground
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ball — a great time
  12. season — of the year
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. file — a document
  16. season — in sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — a monarch

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