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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. tube — a container
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. charge — a price
  8. object — an aim
  9. charge — in control
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stock — shares
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. game — wild animals
  14. charge — electricity
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — to protest
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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