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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bat — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. can — a tin
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. key — for a lock
  17. board — to get on
  18. chip — for betting
  19. kick — in football
  20. can — to be able to
  21. board — a committee
  22. can — a tin
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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