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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. squash — the sport
  4. roll — a list
  5. tube — a container
  6. mate — a friend
  7. current — electric
  8. race — a contest
  9. squash — to crush
  10. mate — a partner
  11. rule — a law
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. tube — the underground
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rule — government
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mate — to breed
  21. race — the arms race
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. race — humankind

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