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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. tube — a container
  3. swing — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pit — in a race
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. board — to get on
  9. chair — a leader
  10. board — a committee
  11. tube — the underground
  12. chest — a box
  13. craft — boats
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — a skill
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chest — of your body
  19. swing — to play on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pit — a hole

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