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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pop — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pop — soda
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. object — a thing
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — a container
  12. cell — in biology
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cell — a phone
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — to visit
  22. stock — goods
  23. object — to protest
  24. cell — in a prison

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