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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. tube — a container
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. prune — to trim
  6. field — for sport
  7. prune — to trim
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pit — a hole
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. field — farmland
  17. pit — in a race
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. staff — employees
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. field — a subject
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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