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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. ground — a position
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pit — a hole
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ground — crushed
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. ground — the earth
  20. net — in sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pit — in a race
  24. plane — an aircraft

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