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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. club — for golf
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. tube — a container
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. file — a line of people
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — government
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. club — a group
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. file — a document
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pit — in a race

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