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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — a division
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. firm — decided
  20. tube — a container
  21. pass — a permit
  22. firm — a company
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. rest — what's left

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