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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 116 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — a container
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. sharp — clever
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pit — in a race

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