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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 116 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 be taking the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — the underground
  3. charge — electricity
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — in sport
  6. bark — to shout
  7. land — ground
  8. face — part of the head
  9. staff — employees
  10. land — a country
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. face — to point toward
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — to confront
  22. tube — a container
  23. land — to come down
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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