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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — to handle
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mark — a grade
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. band — a ring
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rash — a series
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bass — the fish

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