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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. tube — a container
  4. row — a line
  5. cap — a lid
  6. mug — a face
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. swing — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. swing — to play on
  16. object — to protest
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cap — a hat
  20. object — a thing
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. object — an aim
  24. cap — of ice

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