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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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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: firm · wake · mouse · pop · pitcher · object · pit · tube

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. tube — a container
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. firm — decided
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pop — soda
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pop — to visit
  12. tube — the underground
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pop — music
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. object — an aim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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