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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. degree — an amount
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rock — music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. object — an aim
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. degree — from a university
  17. can — a tin
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. degree — temperature

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