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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 116 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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — in sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. stock — shares
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ground — a position
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. suit — in cards
  10. ground — crushed
  11. suit — clothes
  12. stock — goods
  13. bank — for money
  14. tube — the underground
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. perch — the fish
  20. key — the most important part
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tube — a container
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bank — of a river

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