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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 116 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. tube — the underground
  3. capital — a city
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. mug — to rob
  9. tube — a container
  10. row — to paddle
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. capital — money
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — a contest
  15. fine — high quality
  16. mug — a cup
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mug — a face
  20. row — a line
  21. race — humankind
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fine — a penalty

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