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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. band — a ring
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bass — the fish
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bass — low music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cap — a hat
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. tube — the underground
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. cap — of ice
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. chip — for betting

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