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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. date — the fruit
  4. cell — in biology
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. foot — a measure
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bulb — for light
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cell — in a prison

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