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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 116 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: spring · rock · pit · board · present · hand · tube · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. rock — a stone
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — a hole
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — of water
  7. hand — help
  8. tube — the underground
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tube — a container
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. board — to get on
  17. present — the time now
  18. rock — music
  19. can — a tin
  20. board — a committee
  21. present — a gift
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. present — there
  24. board — a flat piece

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