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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. current — electric
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fine — all right
  8. march — the month
  9. prune — to trim
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. march — music
  15. ball — a dance
  16. current — happening now
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. sharp — clever
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. fine — high quality
  24. current — of water

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