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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: court · object · mine · can · tube · pitcher · bat · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. court — of a king
  4. bat — the animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — a face
  8. object — to protest
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. can — to be able to
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. object — a thing
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. court — of law
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. court — for sport
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. object — an aim

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