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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pass — a permit
  6. board — to get on
  7. chest — of your body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — a committee
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mug — a face
  13. chest — a box
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — a container
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. jam — a tight spot

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