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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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Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rush — hurry
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. game — wild animals
  8. current — happening now
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. pass — a permit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bound — certain
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. tube — a container

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