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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: pit · tube · foot · staff · arm · cell · charge · dip

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. charge — a price
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. dip — to sink
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. foot — a measure
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. charge — in control
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. staff — employees
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. cell — a phone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. tube — a container
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pit — a hole
  20. staff — employees
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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