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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · rash · deal · calf · rock · mouse · stem · court

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rash — hasty
  3. tube — a container
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tube — the underground
  10. court — of law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rock — a stone
  16. court — for sport
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rash — a series
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rock — music

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