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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. squash — the sport
  8. root — of a word
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. charge — electricity
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. tube — a container
  14. root — the cause
  15. branch — a division
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — to crush
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. charge — in control
  23. can — to be able to
  24. charge — a price

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