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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. field — for sport
  3. hand — help
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — in cards
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. scale — size or range
  13. tube — a container
  14. scale — in music
  15. field — farmland
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tube — the underground
  20. press — to push
  21. field — a subject
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. prune — to trim

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