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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. firm — a company
  3. chair — a leader
  4. object — a thing
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. spell — a short time
  7. kid — to tease
  8. tube — the underground
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. spell — letters
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spell — magic
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. tube — a container
  16. firm — steady
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — to protest
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. firm — decided
  24. object — an aim

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