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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. firm — a company
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pit — a hole
  5. net — after costs
  6. mug — a cup
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ball — a great time
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rest — a break
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. firm — decided
  16. mug — a face
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rest — what's left
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. squash — the sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a round shape

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