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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: bound · cap · rock · bulb · face · pitch · tube · clip

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. clip — a video
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bound — certain
  12. clip — for paper
  13. rock — music
  14. cap — a lid
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bound — obliged
  17. tube — the underground
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. face — to confront
  21. tube — a container
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rock — a stone
  24. clip — to cut

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