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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: game · spring · lean · tube · kid · season · pitcher · suit

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. suit — to fit
  3. kid — to tease
  4. season — of the year
  5. suit — clothes
  6. game — a match
  7. tube — a container
  8. game — wild animals
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lean — thin
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kid — child
  19. season — in sport
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. suit — in cards
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spring — a coil
  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