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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. squash — to crush
  10. root — the cause
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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