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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. net — after costs
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — to get on
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cold — an illness
  13. suit — to fit
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. tube — a container
  16. board — a committee
  17. suit — clothes
  18. net — for catching
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — the underground
  21. toast — bread
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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