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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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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: tube · mouse · pound · spell · game · rest · bulb · pit

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. spell — letters
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pit — in a race
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — magic
  24. rest — a break

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