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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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stock — goods
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tube — a container
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stock — shares
  10. march — music
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. foot — a measure
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. tube — the underground
  15. row — a line
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. press — to push
  18. row — to paddle
  19. march — the month
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. march — the month
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. arm — part of the body

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