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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 120 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cell — a phone
  3. firm — steady
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pit — a hole
  8. firm — a company
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rock — a stone
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. firm — decided
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rock — music
  16. tube — a container
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — obliged
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. arm — part of the body

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