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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mug — a cup
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mug — a face
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tube — the underground
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ball — a great time

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