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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pit — in a race
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. tube — the underground
  5. land — a country
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. foot — a measure
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pass — a permit
  11. land — ground
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. kick — in football
  17. land — to come down
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. board — to get on
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. board — a committee
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tube — in a tire

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