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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  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. date — on the calendar
  2. file — a tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. file — a line of people
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. chair — a leader
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. file — a document
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. court — of law
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. date — the fruit
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. chair — to sit on
  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