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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. roll — a cake
  3. current — happening now
  4. club — for golf
  5. toast — bread
  6. club — for dancing
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. current — electric
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. tube — a container
  16. roll — a list
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. club — a group

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