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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — a signal
  3. rule — government
  4. tube — a container
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. cue — for pool
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rule — a law
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. tube — the underground
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. plane — an aircraft

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