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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 120 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: ball · tear · tube · suit · pop · can · pit · mug

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pit — a hole
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ball — a dance
  5. can — a tin
  6. suit — clothes
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pop — soda
  11. mug — a face
  12. can — a tin
  13. pop — music
  14. pit — in a race
  15. mug — to rob
  16. tube — a container
  17. pop — to visit
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. mug — a cup
  24. tear — to rip

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