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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tube — a container
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. chip — to eat
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chip — for betting
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. pit — a hole
  16. drill — a practice
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pit — in a race
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. drill — army training
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. safe — a strongbox

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