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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. root — the cause
  6. tube — the underground
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — tied together
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. tube — a container
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bound — obliged
  14. present — the time now
  15. cue — for pool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bound — certain
  19. cue — a hint
  20. root — of a word
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. root — of a plant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stock — goods

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