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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. pit — in a race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rock — a stone
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bass — the fish
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bass — low music
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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