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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — a trace
  3. spring — a coil
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. cue — for pool
  11. craft — boats
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mark — a grade
  18. spring — of water
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. cue — a hint
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spring — the season
  23. tube — a container
  24. drill — army training

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