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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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. track — a song
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chip — to eat
  5. craft — boats
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. track — a path
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rash — hasty
  11. content — happy
  12. chip — for betting
  13. craft — a skill
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. tube — a container
  16. hand — in cards
  17. content — the amount
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. rash — a series
  22. track — to keep track
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. hand — help

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