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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 120 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 · chair · bound · bulb · fall · bat · bank · tube

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a leader
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bound — certain
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fall — the season
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. tube — a container
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — obliged

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