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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. can — a tin
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cue — for pool
  8. toast — bread
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cue — a hint
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bark — to shout
  13. can — to be able to
  14. row — to paddle
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tube — a container
  24. bark — of a tree

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