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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 · prune · mark · net · present · tube · cabinet · chest

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. net — in sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. chest — a box
  10. mark — a trace
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. mark — a grade
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — after costs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — a gift

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