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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. spring — of water
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. tube — the underground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — ground
  11. tube — a container
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. spring — the season
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. band — a ring
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. land — to come down
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. land — a country
  24. drill — army training

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