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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. tube — a container
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — goods
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stock — shares
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bulb — for light
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rash — a series
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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