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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. fork — in a road
  3. tube — a container
  4. race — the arms race
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. race — humankind
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rule — government
  12. race — a contest
  13. charge — electricity
  14. dip — to sink
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rule — a law
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. prune — to trim
  21. charge — a price
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. charge — in control
  24. fork — to eat with

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