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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 120 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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — a measure
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. suit — to fit
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rash — a series
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bore — to tire
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitcher — a jug

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