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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: staff · row · season · chair · bound · wave · tube · track

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bound — tied together
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. staff — employees
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. tube — a container
  9. track — a path
  10. row — a line
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. tube — the underground
  13. season — in sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bound — certain
  19. track — a song
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. chair — a leader

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