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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.

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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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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: game · mate · tube · present · bank · can · charge · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. charge — a price
  3. mate — a friend
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. last — finally
  7. game — a match
  8. can — a tin
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — there
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — for money
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mate — to breed
  16. can — a tin
  17. tube — a container
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — wild animals
  22. can — to be able to
  23. present — a gift
  24. tube — in a tire

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