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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitch — completely
  6. tube — the underground
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rash — hasty
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mug — a face
  20. rash — a series
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rash — on the skin

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