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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.

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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 · pop · rush · file · rock · stem · board · charge

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. charge — in control
  3. rock — music
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. tube — a container
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — to get on
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. stem — to come from
  16. file — a tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. pop — music
  19. charge — a price
  20. file — a line of people
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. charge — electricity
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. file — a document

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