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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. object — an aim
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. tube — a container
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. band — a ring
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. scale — in music
  14. object — a thing
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. object — to protest
  20. band — a music group
  21. scale — size or range
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. prune — to trim
  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