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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. last — finally
  5. pass — a permit
  6. band — a ring
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — a container
  10. last — final
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. charge — a price
  13. tube — the underground
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. band — a music group
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bat — the animal
  24. last — to go on

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