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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — to visit
  3. tube — a container
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pop — soda
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mark — a trace
  12. cap — of ice
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pop — music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bass — low music
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — for light

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