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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. tube — a container
  6. shower — to wash
  7. root — of a word
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — the cause
  10. tube — the underground
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pitch — completely
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. shower — rain
  24. ruler — for measuring

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