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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. band — a music group
  5. mug — to rob
  6. can — a tin
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. tube — a container
  9. root — of a plant
  10. band — a ring
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. kid — to tease
  13. root — of a word
  14. can — to be able to
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mug — a face
  17. pitch — completely
  18. can — a tin
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kid — child
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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