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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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. foot — a measure
  4. row — to paddle
  5. root — the cause
  6. spring — the season
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. pass — a permit
  13. root — of a plant
  14. root — of a word
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — of water
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. ground — the earth
  24. row — a line

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