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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cue — a signal
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — for pool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cue — a hint
  12. season — of the year
  13. capital — money
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tube — a container
  21. bass — the fish
  22. capital — a city
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — low music

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