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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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rock — a stone
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. present — the time now
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. present — there
  24. rock — music

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