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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. pit — in a race
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. present — there
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. present — the time now
  14. tube — a container
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bear — the animal
  18. present — a gift
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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