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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. craft — boats
  4. charge — electricity
  5. root — of a plant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. root — of a word
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. charge — in control
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. root — the cause
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — after costs
  15. mine — for digging
  16. net — for catching
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. charge — a price
  20. net — in sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — a skill
  23. tube — a container
  24. mine — belonging to me

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