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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  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. tube — in a tire
  2. key — in music
  3. object — to protest
  4. key — for a lock
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — a face
  7. press — a publisher
  8. race — a contest
  9. scale — in music
  10. press — newspapers
  11. object — a thing
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stock — goods
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mug — to rob
  19. race — the arms race
  20. press — to push
  21. race — humankind
  22. key — the most important part
  23. tube — a container
  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