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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 · net · root · mine · ruler · mark · tube · calf

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tube — a container
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. root — the cause
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — for catching
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. net — after costs
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. net — in sport

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