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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rest — what's left
  3. degree — an amount
  4. craft — boats
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — a break
  7. lean — to bend
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — from a university
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. degree — temperature
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — a match
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. craft — a skill

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