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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — a thing
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pit — in a race
  8. prune — to trim
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. present — a gift
  12. object — to protest
  13. prune — to trim
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. present — the time now
  16. charge — electricity
  17. tube — a container
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. object — an aim
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. present — there
  22. hand — help
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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