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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. last — final
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pitch — completely
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. tube — a container
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pit — in a race
  18. ball — a dance

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