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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. root — the cause
  6. content — happy
  7. tube — a container
  8. mug — to rob
  9. staff — employees
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fork — in a road
  13. root — of a word
  14. mug — a face
  15. staff — a stick
  16. root — of a plant
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tube — the underground
  23. content — the amount
  24. wound — an injury

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