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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rest — a break
  5. file — a tool
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rest — what's left
  11. file — a document
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a line of people
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — a container
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitcher — a jug

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