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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: pitcher · snap · stand · wake · toast · tube · bore · foot

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — to tire
  7. snap — to click
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. tube — a container
  11. foot — a measure
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bore — to drill
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. tube — in a tire

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