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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — a container
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mug — a face
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. root — of a word
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. root — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. tube — the underground
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — the cause
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. bat — the animal
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. march — music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bat — for baseball

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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