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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chair — a leader
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mark — a grade
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bulb — for light
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stock — shares
  22. tube — a container
  23. mark — a trace
  24. nail — on a finger

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