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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: arm · bowl · sharp · bulb · tube · fan · net · rock

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tube — a container
  6. rock — music
  7. net — after costs
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. net — in sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. net — for catching
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. tube — the underground

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