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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 take my ________________ from you.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cue — a hint
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cue — a signal
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. craft — boats
  11. cue — for pool
  12. tube — a container
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bat — the animal
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. fine — all right
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. fine — high quality
  24. trunk — of a tree

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