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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. drill — a practice
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — the underground
  5. race — humankind
  6. drill — army training
  7. rule — a law
  8. track — a path
  9. mark — a grade
  10. race — the arms race
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. track — a song
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. drill — the tool
  15. tube — a container
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rule — government
  18. track — to keep track
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mark — a trace
  21. race — a contest
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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