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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: arm · pop · coach · pit · tube · bulb · wind · dip

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pit — a hole
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pop — to visit
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — soda
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bulb — for light
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bulb — for light
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. tube — a container
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pop — music
  24. wind — moving air

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