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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: can · mate · mine · wake · tube · kid · pit · pitcher

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. kid — child
  13. tube — the underground
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. can — a tin

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