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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stand — to bear
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. club — a group
  10. tube — the underground
  11. can — to be able to
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. sharp — clever
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. tube — in a tire

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