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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: foot · fine · bulb · rash · row · mark · pit · tube

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fine — all right
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mark — a trace
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rash — a series
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. fine — high quality
  17. tube — a container
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. row — a line
  24. bulb — of a plant

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