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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tube — a container
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. object — an aim
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. object — a thing
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. tube — the underground
  24. cabinet — ministers

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