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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — the time now
  3. current — electric
  4. lie — to recline
  5. date — the fruit
  6. current — of water
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — happening now
  9. tube — a container
  10. present — a gift
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. tube — the underground
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. present — there
  20. pit — in a race
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. racket — for tennis

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