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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. can — a tin
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — completely
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pit — in a race
  8. staff — employees
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pit — a hole
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chest — a box
  13. mate — a friend
  14. can — a tin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chest — of your body
  17. roll — a list
  18. staff — employees
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. roll — a cake

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