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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 116 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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. race — humankind
  5. race — a contest
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fork — in a road
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — an injury
  15. race — the arms race
  16. tube — a container
  17. spell — magic
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. board — a committee
  22. spell — letters
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mark — a grade

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