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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. race — the arms race
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — a stick
  6. press — to push
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chip — for betting
  10. race — humankind
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rock — music
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. race — a contest
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. pound — a weight
  19. staff — employees
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — a container
  23. chip — to eat
  24. press — a publisher

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