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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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. tube — the underground
  4. date — the fruit
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. ground — a position
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pitch — completely
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chest — of your body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chest — a box
  24. suit — in cards

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