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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 120 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: deal · firm · bound · tube · pit · mate · bat · capital

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — steady
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. tube — a container
  14. firm — a company
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. firm — decided
  21. bound — certain
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bound — obliged
  24. deal — an agreement

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