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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. fork — in a road
  3. hand — in cards
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — help
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. scale — in music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tube — a container
  20. march — music
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. scale — size or range
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. march — the month

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