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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bulb — for light
  7. tube — the underground
  8. court — of a king
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of law
  12. pit — a hole
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. ground — crushed
  15. cell — in biology
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. court — for sport
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. tube — a container
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cell — a phone

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