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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: rush · net · tube · pitcher · foot · swing · arm · pop

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. swing — music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — music
  9. net — for catching
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. tube — the underground
  12. rush — hurry
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pop — soda
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. net — in sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. swing — in golf
  24. pitcher — a jug

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