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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 120 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. race — humankind
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. suit — clothes
  7. land — to come down
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. suit — to fit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. race — a contest
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wake — a trail
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tube — a container
  21. land — ground
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chair — a professorship

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