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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · fine · suit · rash · hand · ball · game · staff

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. staff — a stick
  6. ball — a dance
  7. fine — high quality
  8. suit — in cards
  9. suit — to fit
  10. staff — employees
  11. hand — in cards
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tube — a container
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. fine — all right
  22. game — wild animals
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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