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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rule — a law
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. root — of a word
  10. tube — a container
  11. net — in sport
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rule — government
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — army training
  20. root — of a plant
  21. bore — to tire
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. root — the cause

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