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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. stock — goods
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stock — shares
  10. lean — thin
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. court — for sport
  13. dip — to sink
  14. rock — a stone
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rock — music
  17. tube — a container
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — of law
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stock — a soup base

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