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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.

Make a worksheet

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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. land — ground
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — to come down
  5. pitch — completely
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. can — to be able to
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bass — the fish
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bass — low music
  14. tube — the underground
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chair — a leader
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. land — a country
  21. tube — a container
  22. can — a tin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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