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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: mine · file · cabinet · perch · bulb · tube · pop · bore

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — to visit
  3. tube — a container
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pop — soda
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. file — a document
  19. bore — to tire
  20. pop — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bore — to drill

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