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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rest — what's left
  3. roll — a cake
  4. roll — a list
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. tube — a container
  16. firm — a company
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. firm — decided
  19. rest — a break
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rash — hasty
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. firm — steady

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