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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: mouse · tube · charge · key · race · coach · hand · can

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. charge — electricity
  12. tube — a container
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. charge — a price
  18. tube — the underground
  19. race — a contest
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. charge — in control

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