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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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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: toast · mouse · stick · root · pass · rest · fine · tube

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tube — the underground
  9. root — of a word
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — all right
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. toast — bread
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pass — a permit
  22. tube — a container
  23. rest — a break
  24. fine — a penalty

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