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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 112 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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. race — humankind
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — a contest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — the arms race
  12. cap — a hat
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cap — a lid
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cap — of ice

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