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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bound · pit · pitcher · tube · face · mouse

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — to point toward
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pit — in a race
  11. face — to confront
  12. tube — a container
  13. bound — certain
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a fruit stone

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