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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stem — to come from
  3. tube — a container
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. swing — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. can — a tin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. swing — in golf
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. can — to be able to
  19. swing — to play on
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. squash — the sport
  24. can — a tin

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