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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 116 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 · object · stick · bore · fall · tube · race · mate

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mate — to breed
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fall — the season
  11. race — humankind
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. race — a contest
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. tube — a container
  23. mate — a partner
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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