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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. drill — army training
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — the season
  5. bear — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — to drop
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bear — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. tube — a container
  14. club — for dancing
  15. drill — a practice
  16. fall — to drop
  17. club — for golf
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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