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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. band — a ring
  4. roll — a list
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. land — a country
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. rock — a stone
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. land — to come down
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. land — ground
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pass — a permit
  19. band — a music group
  20. squash — to crush
  21. tube — the underground
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rock — music

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