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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
468
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: staff · bass · wax · tube · kid · coach · racket · press

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — a stick
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — to push
  7. kid — child
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. bass — low music
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. staff — employees
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — a container
  20. press — newspapers
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. staff — employees
  23. tube — the underground
  24. coach — a trainer

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