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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. rule — a law
  6. net — after costs
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. charge — a price
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rule — government
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rock — a stone
  14. charge — electricity
  15. band — a ring
  16. tube — a container
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. band — a music group
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. charge — in control
  24. net — for catching

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