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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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. net — in sport
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. tube — the underground
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. net — for catching
  15. chair — a leader
  16. cue — a signal
  17. tube — a container
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pit — in a race
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. tear — from crying

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