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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: straw · arm · current · fine · roll · tube · pop · season

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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. fine — high quality
  4. pop — soda
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. roll — a cake
  7. fine — all right
  8. pop — music
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. season — in sport
  14. pop — to visit
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. roll — a list
  19. current — happening now
  20. tube — the underground
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. current — electric
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. current — of water

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