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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: bulb · bank · clip · stand · suit · tube · pop · bat

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pop — soda
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. stand — to bear
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bulb — for light
  13. tube — the underground
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bat — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bank — for money
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — a video
  23. pop — music
  24. tube — a container

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