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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pit — a hole
  3. tube — a container
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. game — a match
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. squash — the sport
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rush — hurry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. game — wild animals
  16. squash — to crush
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. sharp — with an edge

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