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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — a gift
  12. game — wild animals
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a match
  15. bass — low music
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. present — there
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. board — a committee
  24. jam — a tight spot

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