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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. bass — low music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. land — a country
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. land — ground
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. land — to come down
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bass — the fish

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