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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. bark — to shout
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rule — a law
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rule — government
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — a coil
  15. tube — a container
  16. stock — shares
  17. suit — clothes
  18. spring — of water
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. suit — in cards
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. season — to add flavour

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