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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — to play on
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — happy
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. swing — music
  20. net — after costs
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. bank — for money

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