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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. swing — music
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. tube — a container
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. season — in sport
  10. swing — in golf
  11. season — of the year
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. tube — the underground
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. swing — to play on
  24. chair — a leader

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