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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. capital — money
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. file — a line of people
  8. capital — a city
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. file — a document
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. file — a tool
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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