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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — a container
  5. last — finally
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — the underground
  8. club — a group
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. race — humankind
  12. last — final
  13. pop — soda
  14. court — of law
  15. club — for golf
  16. court — for sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. court — of a king
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — to go on
  24. race — a contest

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