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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — in sport
  4. race — humankind
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. object — to protest
  8. staff — employees
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. race — the arms race
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. staff — employees
  13. band — a ring
  14. tube — the underground
  15. staff — a stick
  16. object — an aim
  17. race — a contest
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. tube — a container
  20. pass — a permit
  21. season — of the year
  22. band — a music group
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. object — a thing

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