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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. press — to push
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. degree — temperature
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. press — newspapers
  7. current — electric
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. degree — from a university
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ball — a great time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. current — happening now
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. degree — an amount
  17. current — of water
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. press — a publisher
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. safe — out of danger

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