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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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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. net — after costs
  3. cue — a hint
  4. suit — in cards
  5. can — a tin
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pit — a hole
  14. net — in sport
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — for catching
  21. cue — for pool
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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