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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. tube — a container
  5. charge — electricity
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. pop — music
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pop — soda
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. board — to get on
  15. band — a music group
  16. charge — a price
  17. band — a ring
  18. deal — to handle
  19. dip — to sink
  20. board — a committee
  21. charge — in control
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. pop — to visit
  24. sharp — clever

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