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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 120 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
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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: pitcher · plane · bowl · clip · spring · tube · current · bulb

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spring — the season
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — of water
  10. plane — a tool
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. clip — to cut
  16. tube — the underground
  17. clip — a video
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. spring — a coil
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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