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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 124 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. swing — music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. tube — the underground
  6. cap — a lid
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. charge — electricity
  10. suit — in cards
  11. vault — a safe
  12. charge — a price
  13. tube — a container
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mate — to breed
  16. suit — clothes
  17. swing — in golf
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — in control
  21. cap — a hat
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. mate — a partner
  24. swing — to play on

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