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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: ball · mark · nail · rash · bore · toast · bulb · tube

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rash — hasty
  16. tube — a container
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rash — a series
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mark — to pay attention

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