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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mug — a face
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. swing — to play on
  5. can — a tin
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tube — the underground
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. can — a tin
  11. tube — a container
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. season — in sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. band — a music group
  17. swing — music
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. band — a ring
  21. swing — in golf
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pit — a hole

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