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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: mate · bulb · pitcher · scale · tube · present · cap · mine

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bulb — for light
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. tube — a container
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. scale — in music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mine — for digging
  19. present — the time now
  20. scale — size or range
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mate — to breed

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