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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tube — a container
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bear — the animal
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. court — of law
  14. mug — to rob
  15. court — for sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — a face
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. court — of a king
  24. 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