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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. track — a path
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. track — a song
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — wild animals
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ruler — for measuring

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