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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pop — to visit
  10. club — a group
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. club — for golf
  19. tube — a container
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pop — music
  23. spell — magic
  24. pop — soda

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