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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. board — to get on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ground — a position
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pitch — completely
  9. board — a committee
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mark — a trace
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. mark — a grade

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