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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. present — there
  5. chip — to eat
  6. present — the time now
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. present — a gift
  9. tube — the underground
  10. row — a line
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. fork — in a road
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bound — certain
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — tied together

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