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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. bear — the animal
  7. tube — a container
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. file — a tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. capital — money
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. sharp — clever
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. charge — a price
  18. bear — the animal
  19. capital — a city
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. file — a line of people
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. capital — a big letter

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