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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. tube — the underground
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. march — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — humankind
  22. current — of water
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tube — a container

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