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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. drill — army training
  3. tube — a container
  4. drill — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. field — for sport
  7. club — a group
  8. ball — a dance
  9. club — for dancing
  10. drill — a practice
  11. mate — to breed
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mate — a friend
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mate — a partner
  19. ball — a great time
  20. club — for golf
  21. press — newspapers
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. tube — the underground

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