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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bank — for money
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. kid — child
  8. tube — a container
  9. pass — a permit
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bank — of a river
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bark — to shout
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. fine — all right

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