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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · spring · stick · pass · nail · net · arm

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. spring — the season
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. tube — the underground
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — of water
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — after costs
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pass — a permit
  17. game — a match
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. net — for catching
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. net — in sport
  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