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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — a face
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — to shout
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pop — soda
  16. fine — high quality
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. mug — to rob
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pop — music

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