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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spell — magic
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitch — completely
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. spell — letters
  17. tube — a container
  18. plane — a tool
  19. staff — a stick
  20. toast — bread
  21. staff — employees
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitcher — a jug

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