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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spell — letters
  7. present — the time now
  8. spell — magic
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. tube — the underground
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. net — in sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — a short time
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — completely
  19. net — after costs
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. tube — a container

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