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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 124 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. scale — size or range
  9. chest — a box
  10. scale — in music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. chest — of your body
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mark — a grade

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