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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. board — a committee
  4. hand — help
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — completely
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tube — a container
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mate — a friend
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hand — part of the body

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