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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: tube · cap · suit · object · ground · mouse · sharp · cell

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cap — of ice
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — to protest
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cap — a lid
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cell — a phone
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cap — a hat
  17. suit — clothes
  18. sharp — clever
  19. cell — in biology
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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