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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. tube — a container
  3. can — a tin
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bore — to drill
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. can — a tin
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. object — to protest
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — to be able to
  15. mate — to breed
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — a trace
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — a partner
  24. jam — in traffic

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