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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. board — to get on
  5. rock — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rock — a stone
  10. field — for sport
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. board — a committee
  15. field — farmland
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. field — a subject

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