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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fork — in a road
  6. tube — a container
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. row — to paddle
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. row — a line
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. tube — the underground
  19. foot — a measure
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — music
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. fork — to eat with

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