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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — to be able to
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. board — to get on
  7. deal — to handle
  8. tube — the underground
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — money
  22. swing — music
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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