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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: track · bulb · game · tube · trunk · cabinet · cold · firm

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. firm — steady
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. track — a path
  7. tube — a container
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. game — wild animals
  11. firm — decided
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cold — not warm
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. track — a song
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bulb — for light
  20. firm — a company
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cold — an illness
  23. track — to keep track
  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