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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. charge — a price
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. bear — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. charge — electricity
  16. pop — music
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bark — to shout
  21. key — in music
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pop — soda

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