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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. land — a country
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. key — in music
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. tube — the underground
  9. press — a publisher
  10. key — for a lock
  11. land — ground
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. key — the most important part
  17. press — newspapers
  18. press — to push
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — a container
  21. land — to come down
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. swing — in golf
  24. racket — for tennis

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