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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 116 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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. perch — the fish
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pound — a weight
  5. current — happening now
  6. press — newspapers
  7. tube — the underground
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a dance
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. current — of water
  17. bear — the animal
  18. press — to push
  19. tube — a container
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — electric
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. patient — a sick person

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