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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. tube — a container
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. staff — a stick
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. swing — to play on
  11. staff — employees
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chest — a box
  14. swing — music
  15. pit — a hole
  16. staff — employees
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. mug — a cup
  23. swing — in golf
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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