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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. tube — the underground
  4. net — after costs
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a music group
  7. ball — a great time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — in sport
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. tube — a container
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pit — a hole
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. chip — to eat
  22. net — for catching
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mouse — the animal

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