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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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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: fan · press · mouse · charge · bore · tube · track · chair

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. chair — a professorship
  3. press — a publisher
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bore — to tire
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. press — newspapers
  12. track — a path
  13. press — to push
  14. track — a song
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. charge — a price
  20. bore — to drill
  21. tube — the underground
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — a leader
  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