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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 116 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: bulb · court · mine · object · cue · tube · bass · rush

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. mine — for digging
  6. object — a thing
  7. cue — a hint
  8. court — of a king
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bass — low music
  11. rush — hurry
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. court — of law
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bass — the fish
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. court — for sport
  24. object — to protest

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