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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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Word bank
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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: row · staff · toast · tube · charge · dip · wake · pit

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. toast — bread
  7. tube — a container
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pit — in a race
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wake — a trail
  15. tube — the underground
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. dip — to sink
  19. staff — a stick
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. row — to paddle
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. charge — a price

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