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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 116 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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rule — government
  4. game — a match
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bass — low music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — high quality
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — all right
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rule — a law
  20. tube — the underground
  21. game — wild animals
  22. current — electric
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. tube — a container

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