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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cell — a phone
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. tube — the underground
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. board — a committee
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. board — to get on
  14. tube — a container
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — for pool
  17. content — the amount
  18. swing — music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. content — happy
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. straw — a straw man

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