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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mark — a trace
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. root — of a plant
  6. field — farmland
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tube — a container
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a grade
  13. hand — help
  14. field — for sport
  15. mug — a face
  16. field — a subject
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. root — the cause
  20. mug — a cup
  21. root — of a word
  22. hand — in cards
  23. key — in music
  24. tube — the underground

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