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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tube · rule · stem · bear · last · key · pit · racket

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. last — to go on
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. stem — to come from
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — a container
  8. last — finally
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. rule — government
  19. last — final
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rule — a law
  24. pit — in a race

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