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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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. mouse — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ground — a position
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bear — the animal
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ground — the earth

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