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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: root · toast · tube · squash · spell · deal · arm · pitch

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. toast — bread
  3. tube — the underground
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. tube — a container
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. root — the cause
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. spell — letters
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pitch — completely
  16. squash — to crush
  17. root — of a plant
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. root — of a word
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — magic

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