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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: bat · tube · jam · foot · cabinet · saw · leaves · board

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. board — a committee
  7. tube — a container
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. saw — the tool
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. foot — a measure
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. board — to get on
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tube — the underground

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