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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. game — wild animals
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. tube — a container
  7. board — to get on
  8. chest — of your body
  9. game — a match
  10. rash — hasty
  11. tube — the underground
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rash — a series
  14. chest — a box
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. board — a committee
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. track — a song
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. board — a flat piece

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