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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. tube — a container
  6. pound — a weight
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — the animal
  12. rock — a stone
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rock — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bat — in an idiom

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