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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. swing — to play on
  4. tube — a container
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. tube — the underground
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bear — the animal
  15. track — a path
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ground — a position
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ground — the earth
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. swing — music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — in golf

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