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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · tube · trunk · field · content · mug · toast · object

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. object — to protest
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. tube — a container
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. object — an aim
  7. field — for sport
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. object — a thing
  12. content — the amount
  13. tube — the underground
  14. content — happy
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. kick — in football
  17. field — a subject
  18. toast — bread
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. field — farmland
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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