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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. rash — a series
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. race — a contest
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. race — humankind
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tube — the underground
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. tube — a container
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. deal — to handle
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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