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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cue — a signal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mug — a face
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wake — a trail
  17. tube — a container
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. race — humankind
  20. mug — to rob
  21. race — the arms race
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. mug — a cup
  24. toast — bread

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