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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. tube — the underground
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cap — of ice
  6. sharp — clever
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. tube — a container
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — a partner
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. cap — a lid
  19. suit — to fit
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mate — to breed
  23. suit — clothes
  24. sharp — exactly

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