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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. present — the time now
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. tube — the underground
  9. suit — clothes
  10. suit — in cards
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. present — there
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — a gift
  17. tube — a container
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. stem — to come from
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. hide — animal skin

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