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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: last · can · foot · pitcher · court · ground · tube · mate

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. tube — the underground
  3. court — for sport
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mate — a partner
  6. court — of law
  7. last — to go on
  8. ground — crushed
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ground — a position
  11. can — a tin
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. last — final
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — a friend
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — to be able to
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. tube — a container
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — the earth
  22. foot — a measure
  23. mate — to breed
  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