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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. root — the cause
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. fork — in a road
  10. band — a music group
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. root — of a plant
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. band — a ring
  17. board — to get on
  18. root — of a word
  19. object — an aim
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. deal — to handle
  22. wind — moving air
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. board — a committee

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