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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. key — for a lock
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. tube — a container
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pit — in a race
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. leaves — of a tree

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