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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. game — a match
  3. land — to come down
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — a cup
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tube — a container
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. tube — the underground
  16. land — ground
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. object — to protest
  20. mug — a face
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bark — to shout
  24. land — a country

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