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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. court — for sport
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. court — of law
  16. suit — in cards
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. suit — to fit
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stem — to come from
  21. suit — clothes
  22. court — of a king
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitcher — a jug

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