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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bulb — for light
  7. content — the amount
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. tube — a container
  14. wound — an injury
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. swing — to play on
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. content — happy
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. perch — for a bird

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