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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 116 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pop — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — soda
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. file — a tool
  20. tube — a container
  21. file — a document
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mate — to breed

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