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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. tube — a container
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. drill — the tool
  6. club — for golf
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. club — a group
  9. roll — a list
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tube — the underground
  13. drill — a practice
  14. branch — a division
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. roll — a cake
  22. drill — army training
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rule — a law

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