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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. pit — in a race
  7. drill — army training
  8. root — of a plant
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. snap — to click
  12. root — of a word
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. key — for a lock
  21. drill — the tool
  22. root — the cause
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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