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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fine — high quality
  4. season — of the year
  5. mate — a friend
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. squash — to crush
  8. game — wild animals
  9. season — in sport
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mark — a trace
  12. tube — a container
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. squash — the sport
  15. tube — the underground
  16. game — a match
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mate — a partner

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