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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. tube — a container
  9. pop — soda
  10. tube — the underground
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pop — to visit
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cell — a phone
  21. pop — music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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