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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. roll — a list
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. toast — bread
  7. pound — a weight
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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