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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 120 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. deal — to handle
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. race — the arms race
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. race — a contest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. race — humankind
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rush — hurry

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