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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.

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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. foot — a measure
  9. pound — a weight
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tube — the underground
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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