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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — in control
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stock — goods
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rash — a series
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — letters
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. stock — shares
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. spell — magic
  22. tube — a container
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. charge — a price

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