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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. dip — to sink
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. squash — to crush
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. squash — the sport
  16. game — wild animals
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. fall — the season
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tube — a container
  23. game — a match
  24. arm — a part of something

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