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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. current — happening now
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. current — electric
  7. present — there
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cue — for pool
  11. current — of water
  12. cue — a signal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. present — the time now
  18. season — in sport
  19. deal — to handle
  20. mark — a trace
  21. present — a gift
  22. mark — a grade
  23. season — of the year
  24. wind — moving air

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