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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 need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tube — a container
  4. race — a contest
  5. deal — to handle
  6. prune — to trim
  7. suit — in cards
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — ground
  10. tube — the underground
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — clothes
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. press — newspapers
  16. press — to push
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. race — humankind
  20. suit — to fit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. press — a publisher
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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