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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. charge — a price
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pop — soda
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — electricity
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. pop — music
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. tube — a container
  20. roll — a list
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fine — all right
  24. roll — a cake

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