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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitch — completely
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mine — for digging
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. dip — to sink
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bowl — a dish

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