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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.

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: bore · stand · scale · pass · tube · bat · cabinet · straw

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bore — to tire
  9. scale — in music
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — to bear
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bore — to drill
  20. tube — a container
  21. bat — the animal
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pass — a permit
  24. straw — a straw man

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