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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rock — music
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pound — a weight
  10. toast — bread
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bass — low music
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rock — a stone
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fine — all right
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. tube — the underground

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