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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 · tube · pop · bulb · suit · rock · fall · staff

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pop — to visit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rock — music
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pop — music
  12. foot — a measure
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. rock — a stone
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tube — a container
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — the underground
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. tube — in a tire

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