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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bear — the animal
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pit — in a race
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. pit — a hole
  13. track — to keep track
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. capital — a city
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. track — a path
  18. season — of the year
  19. face — part of the head
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. club — for golf
  22. capital — money
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for dancing

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