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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. charge — a price
  3. charge — electricity
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. charge — in control
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. band — a music group
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tube — a container
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. court — for sport
  23. tube — the underground
  24. kick — in football

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