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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 120 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. press — to push
  5. bound — obliged
  6. can — a tin
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bound — certain
  9. tube — a container
  10. press — a publisher
  11. club — a group
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. chest — a box
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bound — tied together
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. press — newspapers
  22. club — for golf
  23. tube — the underground
  24. can — to be able to

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