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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · bowl · arm · tube · bat · fan · jam · bulb

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — the time now
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. tube — a container
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bowl — a football final

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