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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tube — a container
  6. board — a committee
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. field — farmland
  10. tube — the underground
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — a subject
  14. mug — a cup
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — of water
  18. field — for sport
  19. spring — a coil
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. board — to get on
  23. mug — a face
  24. mug — to rob

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