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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tube — the underground
  3. roll — a cake
  4. tube — a container
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. roll — a list
  7. present — there
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. content — happy
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. pit — in a race
  17. content — the amount
  18. foot — a measure
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. present — the time now
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. present — a gift

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