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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: snap · date · row · bowl · stick · court · pitcher · tube

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — a container
  3. court — of a king
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. row — a line
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. row — to paddle
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — of law
  19. date — the fruit
  20. snap — to click
  21. court — for sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  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