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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. band — a music group
  4. net — for catching
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tube — a container
  7. band — a ring
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. net — after costs
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bank — of a river
  14. current — of water
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bank — for money
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. net — in sport

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