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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tube — the underground
  3. swing — to play on
  4. tube — a container
  5. current — happening now
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — in golf
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. current — electric
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. current — of water
  24. cell — a phone

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