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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. squash — to crush
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cap — a hat
  6. tube — the underground
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cap — a lid
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — of ice
  16. object — to protest
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. object — an aim
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — the vegetable

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