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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bore — to tire
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cue — for pool
  16. tube — a container
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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