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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. dip — to sink
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. net — for catching
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. root — of a plant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pit — a hole
  15. root — the cause
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. pit — in a race
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. root — of a word
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. net — in sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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