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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. charge — electricity
  3. mate — to breed
  4. object — to protest
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. bear — the animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. object — an aim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — a price
  13. bass — low music
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — in control
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — a thing
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mate — a partner
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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