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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. ball — a great time
  8. roll — a cake
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pit — in a race
  11. chair — a leader
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chip — for betting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — to sink
  20. tube — a container
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ball — a dance
  24. roll — a list

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