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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: pitch · can · kid · mug · stem · rule · lash · tube

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mug — a face
  4. tube — a container
  5. rule — a law
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. can — a tin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitch — completely
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kid — child
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mug — a cup

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