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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. staff — a stick
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bank — of a river
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. object — a thing
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. staff — employees
  13. object — to protest
  14. content — the amount
  15. staff — employees
  16. object — an aim
  17. bank — for money
  18. content — happy
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bowl — to roll

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