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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pit — in a race
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — bread
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. swing — to play on
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. swing — music
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. drill — army training
  20. tube — a container
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. tube — the underground
  24. foot — part of the body

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