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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pitch — completely
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. file — a document
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. file — a line of people
  12. tube — a container
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tube — the underground
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. file — a tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitch — a sports field

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