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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: mouse · perch · season · tube · ruler · band · rule · racket

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rule — a law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. perch — the fish
  8. rule — government
  9. season — of the year
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. tube — the underground
  16. season — in sport
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tube — a container

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