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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — a container
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bound — tied together
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. scale — in music
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. roll — a list
  13. race — a contest
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bound — certain
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. scale — size or range

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