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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: pit · snap · rule · tube · fork · chest · band · cap

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chest — a box
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. band — a music group
  5. rule — government
  6. pit — in a race
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. chest — of your body
  12. snap — to click
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rule — a law
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. tube — the underground
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cap — a lid

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