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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. craft — boats
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. key — the most important part
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. current — of water
  9. tube — the underground
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. craft — a skill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. current — electric
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — in a road

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