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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — a container
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. band — a music group
  9. tube — the underground
  10. game — wild animals
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. game — a match
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fine — all right

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