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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. clip — for paper
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cue — a signal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cue — for pool
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. spring — a coil
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. clip — to cut
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tube — a container
  17. cue — a hint
  18. spring — of water
  19. clip — a video
  20. foot — a measure
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bowl — to roll

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