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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. net — for catching
  6. bound — certain
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bound — tied together
  9. tube — the underground
  10. net — in sport
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bound — obliged
  20. net — after costs
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bore — to tire
  24. roll — a list

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