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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: deal · tube · pound · saw · board · current · game · cap

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. tube — a container
  3. cap — a lid
  4. board — to get on
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. saw — the tool
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — the tool
  9. tube — the underground
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. current — of water
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. current — electric
  16. deal — to handle
  17. game — a match
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. current — happening now
  24. pound — a weight

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