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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bear — the animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. court — of law
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. root — the cause
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kid — to tease
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. root — of a plant
  14. tube — the underground
  15. kid — child
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. court — for sport
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tube — a container
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. court — of a king
  24. root — of a word

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