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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cell — in biology
  9. scale — size or range
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. tube — a container
  14. stand — to bear
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. sharp — clever
  18. tube — the underground
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cell — a phone
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. scale — in music
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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