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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: suit · bulb · present · roll · toast · tear · bowl · dip

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bulb — for light
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. present — there
  7. tear — from crying
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. tear — to rip
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. toast — bread
  21. suit — to fit
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. tear — from crying
  24. suit — clothes

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