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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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. tube — a container
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. drill — army training
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. capital — money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. perch — the fish
  16. roll — a list
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. tube — the underground
  21. capital — a city
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. drill — a practice

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