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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.

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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 · pitcher · mark · bulb · leaves · ball · chest · mouse

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. chest — a box
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ball — a great time
  12. tube — a container
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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