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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 sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. cue — for pool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. cue — a hint
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. file — a tool
  17. mug — a face
  18. pit — in a race
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mug — a cup
  23. file — a document
  24. tube — in a tire

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