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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stock — shares
  9. club — a group
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bore — to drill
  12. race — a contest
  13. bulb — for light
  14. club — for golf
  15. race — humankind
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. tube — the underground
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bore — gave birth

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