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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. race — humankind
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — a weight
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pound — for dogs

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