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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. season — in sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mug — a face
  5. bulb — for light
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. clip — to cut
  11. tube — the underground
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. row — a line
  14. clip — a video
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — a container
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. season — of the year
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. clip — for paper

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