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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. deal — to handle
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. row — to paddle
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pound — a weight
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. row — a line
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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