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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. club — for dancing
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. spring — a coil
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. tube — a container
  10. spring — of water
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spring — the season
  16. present — the time now
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — in a race
  20. club — a group
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pit — a hole
  23. club — for golf
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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