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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cell — in biology
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bat — the animal
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — of water
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. land — ground
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — a tin
  16. current — happening now
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. current — electric
  20. cell — a phone
  21. land — to come down
  22. tube — the underground
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. land — a country

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