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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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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cue — a hint
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cap — a lid
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hand — help
  10. present — there
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. present — the time now
  13. cap — a hat
  14. present — a gift
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — a container
  17. roll — a cake
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. roll — a list
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bound — certain
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bound — obliged

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