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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rule — government
  3. saw — the tool
  4. swing — music
  5. rule — a law
  6. tube — a container
  7. object — to protest
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tube — the underground
  11. track — to keep track
  12. race — a contest
  13. track — a path
  14. kid — to tease
  15. swing — in golf
  16. race — humankind
  17. object — a thing
  18. kid — child
  19. saw — the tool
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. swing — to play on
  23. race — the arms race
  24. track — a song

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