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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. root — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a dance
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rule — a law
  18. rule — government
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mouse — the animal

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