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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 124 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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 succeed
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. band — a ring
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mug — a face
  7. game — a match
  8. scale — size or range
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mug — to rob
  11. tube — a container
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. band — a music group
  14. mug — a cup
  15. tube — the underground
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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