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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — a skill
  3. root — of a word
  4. capital — a city
  5. hand — in cards
  6. root — the cause
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. hand — help
  10. capital — money
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — a safe
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. craft — boats
  16. root — of a plant
  17. cue — a hint
  18. cue — for pool
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. cue — a signal

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