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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. drill — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. game — a match
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. toast — bread
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pit — in a race
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. pit — a hole
  21. game — wild animals
  22. tube — the underground
  23. foot — a measure
  24. drill — army training

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