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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bulb · season · land · safe · racket · pound · firm

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — a container
  3. season — of the year
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — to come down
  12. firm — decided
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — in sport
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. firm — steady
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. tube — the underground
  21. firm — a company
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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