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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: tube · mate · can · craft · board · field · cabinet · ground

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. board — to get on
  5. can — a tin
  6. ground — a position
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. craft — boats
  11. ground — crushed
  12. craft — a skill
  13. can — to be able to
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. field — for sport
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ground — the earth
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. field — a subject
  23. board — a committee
  24. field — farmland

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