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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. toast — bread
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cue — for pool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. tube — a container
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. chair — a leader
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. hand — help
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — in cards

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