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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rule — government
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. snap — to click
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rule — a law
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mark — a grade
  22. tube — a container
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mark — a trace

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