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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. bark — to shout
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — the underground
  7. press — newspapers
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. game — wild animals
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cap — a hat
  18. game — a match
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rock — music
  21. cap — of ice
  22. press — to push
  23. rock — a stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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