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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — a container
  7. charge — in control
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. club — for dancing
  10. fine — all right
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — a lid
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. charge — a price
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fine — high quality
  17. club — for golf
  18. cap — a hat
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bore — to drill
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bore — to tire

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