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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 · date · object · cabinet · pound · ball · present · bulb

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. object — a thing
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. object — to protest
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. present — there
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — the time now
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. ball — a dance
  17. date — the fruit
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. tube — a container
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ball — a great time
  24. object — an aim

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