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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — a song
  5. current — electric
  6. track — a path
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. tube — the underground
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. scale — size or range
  14. track — to keep track
  15. tube — a container
  16. land — ground
  17. current — of water
  18. land — a country
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. land — to come down
  21. scale — in music
  22. current — happening now
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. scale — for weighing

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