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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 116 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tube — a container
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bat — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wake — a trail

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