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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 120 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 ________________ took off on time.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. drill — the tool
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — goods
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bulb — for light
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bat — the animal

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