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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cap — a hat
  5. net — after costs
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — in control
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bass — the fish
  23. tube — the underground
  24. charge — a price

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