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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. toast — bread
  4. object — to protest
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. squash — to crush
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. track — a path
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. object — a thing
  17. roll — a list
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. object — an aim
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. track — a song
  22. tube — the underground
  23. track — to keep track
  24. squash — the sport

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