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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 120 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. rock — music
  3. tube — a container
  4. kid — to tease
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitch — completely
  7. last — final
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. mark — a trace
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rock — a stone
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. last — finally

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