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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — a price
  9. band — a music group
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bass — low music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. charge — in control
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. craft — boats
  17. charge — electricity
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. tube — a container
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. coach — a trainer

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