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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hand — help
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. club — for golf
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. club — a group
  24. suit — clothes

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