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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — humankind
  3. press — newspapers
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. race — the arms race
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. last — final
  14. press — to push
  15. race — a contest
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. toast — bread
  20. last — to go on
  21. tube — the underground
  22. last — finally
  23. press — a publisher
  24. prune — to trim

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