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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — to be able to
  6. tube — the underground
  7. suit — to fit
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. ball — a dance
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. suit — in cards
  14. can — a tin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ball — a great time
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. court — for sport
  19. tube — a container
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of law
  24. suit — clothes

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