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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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Word bank
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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — certain
  4. staff — employees
  5. bulb — for light
  6. tube — a container
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — a stick
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. land — to come down
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bound — tied together
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. land — a country
  20. bulb — for light
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fine — high quality
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. land — ground

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