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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bulb — for light
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a ring
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. band — a music group
  14. tube — a container
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rush — hurry
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — a dish

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