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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ball — a dance
  7. root — of a plant
  8. dip — to sink
  9. tube — the underground
  10. root — of a word
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. root — the cause
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ball — a great time

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