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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. object — a thing
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cap — of ice
  6. clip — a video
  7. scale — size or range
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. scale — in music
  10. cap — a lid
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. object — to protest
  13. clip — for paper
  14. present — there
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. present — a gift
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cap — a hat
  20. object — an aim
  21. tube — a container
  22. clip — to cut
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bulb — for light

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