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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — shares
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tube — a container
  7. perch — the fish
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rule — a law
  10. dip — to sink
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rule — government
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. foot — a measure
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. tube — the underground
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — a sauce

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