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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. land — ground
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pit — in a race
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — to come down
  12. kid — child
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. vault — a safe
  15. tube — a container
  16. land — a country
  17. pit — a hole
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. perch — the fish
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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