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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. row — to paddle
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. face — to confront
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. key — for a lock
  9. tube — the underground
  10. row — a line
  11. face — part of the head
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — shares
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. key — the most important part
  18. tube — a container
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. key — in music
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. club — for golf

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