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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tube — a container
  4. shower — rain
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pop — music
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. net — for catching
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pop — soda
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — a face
  18. pop — to visit
  19. cue — a hint
  20. net — in sport
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. net — after costs
  23. cue — a signal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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