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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. prune — to trim
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. pit — a hole
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. last — to go on
  11. pit — in a race
  12. last — finally
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — the underground
  16. last — final
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tube — a container

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