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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 120 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. pit — a hole
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rush — hurry
  10. board — to get on
  11. can — to be able to
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. shower — to wash
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. board — a committee
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. shower — rain

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