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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. court — of law
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — a permit
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. can — to be able to
  11. court — for sport
  12. cap — a lid
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — help
  15. can — a tin
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. court — of a king
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — the tool

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