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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. club — a group
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. deal — to handle
  8. band — a music group
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. club — for golf
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. charge — electricity
  13. club — for dancing
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fall — the season
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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