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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: rest · arm · toast · pop · court · pitcher · dip · tube

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. toast — bread
  5. court — of a king
  6. pop — music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. tube — a container
  9. dip — to sink
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rest — what's left
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pop — to visit
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. court — for sport
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pop — soda

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