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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. rush — hurry
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — in a race
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pit — a hole
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitch — completely
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. dip — to sink
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. rush — a thrill

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