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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. stem — to come from
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. tube — a container
  6. cap — a lid
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. cap — of ice
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. kid — child
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. kid — to tease
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. tube — the underground
  21. wake — a trail
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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