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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pit — a hole
  3. roll — a list
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. chair — a leader
  9. tube — a container
  10. game — a match
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. game — wild animals
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fine — high quality
  15. spell — magic
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — letters
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fine — all right
  24. chair — to sit on

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