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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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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. ground — the earth
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. root — of a plant
  13. mug — a face
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. root — of a word
  21. ground — a position
  22. root — the cause
  23. scale — in music
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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