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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: bound · wind · ball · mate · tube · can · fine · scale

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bound — tied together
  3. tube — a container
  4. bound — certain
  5. fine — all right
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mate — a partner
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — size or range
  10. ball — a great time
  11. tube — the underground
  12. can — to be able to
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bound — obliged
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wind — moving air
  24. ball — a round shape

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