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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cue — for pool
  5. tube — a container
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pit — a hole
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. stock — goods
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — a stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cue — a signal
  15. craft — boats
  16. march — music
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. march — the month
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stock — shares
  23. pit — in a race
  24. rock — music

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