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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: deal · bulb · prune · rest · tube · craft · pitcher · fan

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a skill
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. deal — to handle
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. craft — boats
  18. tube — the underground
  19. prune — to trim
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rest — a break
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. tube — a container

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