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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. game — wild animals
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. scale — size or range
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. scale — in music
  12. tube — a container
  13. game — a match
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fine — high quality
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. deal — to handle
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pit — a hole

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