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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rash — a series
  3. fork — in a road
  4. file — a tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. file — a line of people
  8. tube — a container
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — for golf
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. squash — the sport
  20. file — a document
  21. tube — the underground
  22. club — a group
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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