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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: row · cap · object · drill · mouse · tube · bulb · mug

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tube — the underground
  5. object — to protest
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. object — a thing
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. drill — the tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. tube — a container
  18. cap — of ice
  19. object — an aim
  20. cap — a lid
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mug — a face
  23. row — a line
  24. mug — a cup

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