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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. staff — employees
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pit — in a race
  14. march — the month
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — music
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. tube — the underground
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mouse — the animal

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