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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: squash · game · bulb · can · shower · tube · net · cell

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. game — a match
  3. net — for catching
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — to be able to
  10. shower — to wash
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. squash — to crush
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. shower — rain
  18. cell — a phone
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. tube — the underground
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — in biology

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