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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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. nail — for a hammer
  4. chair — a leader
  5. tube — a container
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rest — a break
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — in music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — size or range
  20. chip — to eat
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chair — to sit on

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