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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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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: rest · tube · bulb · last · date · cue · racket · cap

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cap — of ice
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cap — a hat
  9. last — finally
  10. bulb — for light
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. tube — the underground
  13. cue — a signal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. last — to go on
  16. cue — for pool
  17. tube — a container
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cue — a hint
  20. rest — a break
  21. last — final
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — a loud noise

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