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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. net — in sport
  3. cap — of ice
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. pit — in a race
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pit — a hole
  13. tube — the underground
  14. net — for catching
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. game — a match
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. net — after costs
  22. cap — a lid
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. cap — a hat

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