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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — the underground
  7. root — the cause
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. root — of a plant
  10. object — to protest
  11. tube — a container
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — a thing
  23. root — of a word
  24. tube — in a tire

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