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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 124 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. last — to go on
  5. board — to get on
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. staff — a stick
  10. last — final
  11. hand — in cards
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — a permit
  14. can — a tin
  15. last — finally
  16. hand — help
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. rock — music
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. staff — employees
  22. board — a committee
  23. can — to be able to
  24. hand — part of the body

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