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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: ball · bulb · calf · cabinet · field · tube · last · mark

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — for sport
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tube — the underground
  15. field — a subject
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tube — a container
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. last — final
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. last — to go on
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cabinet — ministers

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