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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. race — humankind
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bound — tied together
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. race — a contest
  14. spring — of water
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bound — certain
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. spring — the season
  19. plane — a tool
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. cue — a signal
  23. tube — a container
  24. ball — a dance

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