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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bay · rest · bowl · dip · game · pitcher · tube · press

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — a break
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. game — a match
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. press — to push
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bowl — a football final
  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