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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. toast — bread
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ball — a great time
  6. swing — in golf
  7. tube — the underground
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. swing — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — to play on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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