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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. plane — a tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. current — happening now
  5. board — to get on
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. perch — the fish
  9. tube — a container
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. current — of water
  16. tube — the underground
  17. land — ground
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. roll — a list
  21. current — electric
  22. cell — a phone
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. plane — an aircraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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