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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.

Make a worksheet

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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — for dancing
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stand — to bear
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — a container
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — for golf
  9. content — the amount
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. club — a group
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. tube — the underground
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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