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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. row — a line
  3. row — to paddle
  4. firm — steady
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — the underground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — army training
  12. firm — a company
  13. degree — temperature
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. drill — a practice
  20. degree — an amount
  21. prune — to trim
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. firm — decided

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