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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: game · pitcher · wake · toast · hand · mouse · tube · bear

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — a match
  15. wake — a trail
  16. game — wild animals
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. hand — in cards
  20. tube — a container
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hand — help
  24. tube — the underground

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