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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. field — farmland
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tube — a container
  11. cue — for pool
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. field — for sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — for money
  21. cue — a hint
  22. field — a subject
  23. cue — a signal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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