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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pop — soda
  7. game — a match
  8. tube — a container
  9. firm — steady
  10. can — a tin
  11. bear — the animal
  12. firm — a company
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. game — wild animals
  22. pop — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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