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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. game — a match
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. land — to come down
  15. chest — a box
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. land — a country
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cue — a signal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. plane — a tool
  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