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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. race — a contest
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. charge — electricity
  7. race — humankind
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pitch — completely
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. snap — to click
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. charge — in control
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. charge — a price

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