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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. field — farmland
  3. present — a gift
  4. track — to keep track
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. present — there
  10. fine — high quality
  11. field — for sport
  12. track — a song
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — a subject
  16. game — wild animals
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. present — the time now
  19. track — a path
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fine — all right
  24. game — a match

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