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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pop — music
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cap — a hat
  5. tube — a container
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — for sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cap — of ice
  14. court — of law
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — in a road
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. court — of a king
  23. cap — a lid
  24. calf — of the leg

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