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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.

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: march · fine · bulb · temple · tear · tube · pitcher · pound

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — from crying
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. march — the month
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. tube — a container
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — all right
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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