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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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468
Word bank
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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. pit — a hole
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. tube — the underground
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a dance
  12. kid — to tease
  13. pit — in a race
  14. snap — to click
  15. kid — child
  16. tube — a container
  17. ball — a great time
  18. court — of law
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. court — of a king
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — for sport
  24. safe — a strongbox

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