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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. craft — boats
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. craft — a skill
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. can — a tin
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — a division
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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