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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tube — a container
  6. stock — goods
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — the underground
  10. stock — shares
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bass — low music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bass — the fish
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. capital — a city
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. cap — a lid
  22. capital — money
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. stand — to bear

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