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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. game — wild animals
  3. saw — the tool
  4. game — a match
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. shower — to wash
  8. tube — a container
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cue — a signal
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. shower — rain
  21. can — a tin
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. staff — a stick

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