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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. game — wild animals
  3. swing — in golf
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bank — for money
  6. spring — of water
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. game — a match
  9. tube — the underground
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. club — for dancing
  13. swing — music
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tube — a container
  16. club — a group
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for golf
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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