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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. toast — bread
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. tube — a container
  8. net — after costs
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. lie — to recline
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — for catching
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. net — in sport
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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