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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tube — a container
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stem — to come from
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — the underground
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. stem — a stem cell

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