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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. bank — for money
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chip — to eat
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a music group
  17. bank — for money
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitch — completely
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a ring
  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