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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 · scale · spring · bulb · charge · tube · tear · jam

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. tube — a container
  2. charge — a price
  3. spring — a coil
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. spring — the season
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bulb — for light
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bulb — for light
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. scale — in music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tear — to rip
  17. spring — of water
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. scale — size or range
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  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