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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bat — the animal
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. tube — a container
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. chair — a leader
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pit — in a race
  17. cap — a hat
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. plane — a tool
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. tube — the underground
  24. plane — an aircraft

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