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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. suit — to fit
  4. tube — a container
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. suit — in cards
  8. charge — in control
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. tube — the underground
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. rule — a law
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — a hint
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. rule — government
  18. field — for sport
  19. band — a ring
  20. cue — for pool
  21. band — a music group
  22. charge — electricity
  23. suit — clothes
  24. charge — a price

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