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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. court — of a king
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. charge — in control
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bass — the fish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bark — to shout
  10. court — for sport
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bass — low music
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cap — of ice
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. court — of law
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. charge — electricity
  22. tube — a container
  23. stand — to bear
  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