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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. tube — a container
  5. root — of a plant
  6. object — a thing
  7. tube — the underground
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. root — of a word
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. squash — to crush
  12. object — to protest
  13. scale — size or range
  14. root — the cause
  15. scale — in music
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. squash — the sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. pound — a weight
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. squash — the vegetable

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