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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. squash — to crush
  7. craft — boats
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rule — a law
  11. craft — a skill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. tube — the underground
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bass — the fish
  16. bass — low music
  17. tube — a container
  18. rule — government
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. cap — of ice
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. craft — a handicraft

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