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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rest — a break
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kick — in football
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rest — what's left
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. firm — decided
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. toast — bread
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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