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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. file — a document
  5. row — to paddle
  6. fork — in a road
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pit — a hole
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. tube — the underground
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — a container
  20. file — a tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — a line
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. row — a quarrel

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