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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — a permit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. season — of the year
  9. roll — a cake
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. tube — the underground
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fine — all right
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fine — high quality
  19. season — in sport
  20. roll — a list
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pass — to spend time

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