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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 124 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rash — a series
  3. club — a group
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rule — government
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. club — for golf
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. sharp — clever
  15. tube — the underground
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. club — for dancing
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ground — a position
  20. rule — a law
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. tube — a container

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