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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. capital — money
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. object — an aim
  15. cell — in biology
  16. object — to protest
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — a city
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pound — to hit hard

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