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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 116 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. field — a subject
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. firm — a company
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — farmland
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. tube — a container
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. firm — steady
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — to crush
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. field — for sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bulb — for light
  24. firm — decided

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