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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kid — child
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — a container
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. kid — to tease
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mug — a face
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. tube — the underground
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stand — to bear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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