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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 116 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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. march — the month
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tube — a container
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. ball — a great time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — the season
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — the underground
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a dance
  17. spring — a coil
  18. march — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. spring — of water
  24. nail — for a hammer

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