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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. foot — a measure
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. charge — a price
  8. bear — the animal
  9. tube — the underground
  10. court — for sport
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. swing — to play on
  13. court — of a king
  14. swing — in golf
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. charge — in control
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chair — a leader
  21. court — of law
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. charge — electricity
  24. tube — a container

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