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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — a song
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. track — to keep track
  5. degree — an amount
  6. suit — clothes
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. suit — in cards
  9. content — the amount
  10. kid — to tease
  11. land — to come down
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tube — a container
  15. track — a path
  16. tube — the underground
  17. degree — temperature
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. degree — from a university
  20. kid — child
  21. land — a country
  22. content — happy
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. land — ground

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