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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pit — in a race
  3. tube — a container
  4. stand — to bear
  5. wound — an injury
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — a coil
  11. spring — of water
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spring — the season
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitch — completely

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