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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. cue — for pool
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to click
  6. can — a tin
  7. cap — of ice
  8. cap — a hat
  9. drill — a practice
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cap — a lid
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — the animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. can — to be able to
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. drill — army training
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bat — in an idiom

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