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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. tube — the underground
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bank — for money
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. fork — in a road
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. tube — a container
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting

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