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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — electric
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pit — in a race
  8. tube — a container
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. current — of water
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. charge — a price
  13. tube — the underground
  14. hand — help
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. stand — to bear
  19. current — happening now
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — electricity
  24. pitcher — a jug

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