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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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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rule — government
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — for catching
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. scale — size or range
  9. tube — the underground
  10. scale — in music
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — a law
  15. wound — an injury
  16. present — a gift
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. present — there
  20. net — in sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. present — the time now
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. net — after costs

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