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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. firm — decided
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tube — the underground
  6. firm — steady
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. tear — from crying
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. firm — a company
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. tube — a container
  21. mine — for digging
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rush — hurry
  24. safe — out of danger

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