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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — an aim
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. net — after costs
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tube — a container
  10. pitch — completely
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pit — a hole
  15. net — in sport
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — for catching
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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