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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. row — to paddle
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. key — in music
  5. club — for golf
  6. ground — crushed
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. tube — the underground
  11. key — for a lock
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. ground — the earth
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kid — child
  19. ground — a position
  20. kid — to tease
  21. key — the most important part
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

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