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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. mine — for digging
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. tube — a container
  8. object — to protest
  9. pit — a hole
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. object — a thing
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. deal — to handle
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. object — an aim
  21. pound — a weight
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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