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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. object — a thing
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. court — for sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. court — of a king
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. cell — a phone
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. root — of a plant
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. root — the cause
  19. object — an aim
  20. stand — to bear
  21. object — to protest
  22. root — of a word
  23. court — of law
  24. stand — for spectators

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