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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. board — to get on
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. date — the fruit
  9. root — of a word
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spring — the season
  12. tube — the underground
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. charge — a price
  18. board — a committee
  19. spring — of water
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. date — on the calendar

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