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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. tube — a container
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — the season
  16. swing — music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. swing — in golf
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stand — to bear
  23. mark — a grade
  24. perch — the fish

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