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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — a container
  4. staff — a stick
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pound — a weight
  8. tube — the underground
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mine — for digging
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mug — a face
  14. staff — employees
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. staff — employees
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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