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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 university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. degree — from a university
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. degree — temperature
  6. season — in sport
  7. rock — a stone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rock — music
  14. season — of the year
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — the underground
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. degree — an amount
  21. tube — a container
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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