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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cap — a hat
  3. key — the most important part
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. tube — the underground
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cap — a lid
  9. stock — goods
  10. key — in music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. craft — a skill
  13. root — of a plant
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stock — shares
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — the cause
  20. craft — boats
  21. root — of a word
  22. tube — a container
  23. cap — of ice
  24. stock — a soup base

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