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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. track — to keep track
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. current — of water
  6. race — the arms race
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. roll — a cake
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — a path
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. roll — a list
  17. current — happening now
  18. track — a song
  19. race — a contest
  20. current — electric
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — humankind
  24. wound — an injury

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