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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. tube — a container
  3. kick — in football
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cue — a signal
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — bread
  9. net — after costs
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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