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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. key — in music
  3. pound — a weight
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tube — the underground
  11. lean — thin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tube — a container
  18. lean — to bend
  19. key — for a lock
  20. field — a subject
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pound — to hit hard

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