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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pop — to visit
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. file — a tool
  8. tube — the underground
  9. object — an aim
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. object — a thing
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pop — soda
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — completely
  18. file — a document
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pop — 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