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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. land — ground
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. land — to come down
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. land — a country
  18. tube — a container
  19. staff — a stick
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stem — to come from
  24. tube — the underground

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