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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — for sport
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. charge — a price
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. field — farmland
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. field — a subject
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. charge — in control
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — hurry

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