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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. pop — to visit
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stock — shares
  9. root — of a plant
  10. press — a publisher
  11. hand — help
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — finally
  14. press — to push
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. root — the cause
  19. last — to go on
  20. race — a contest
  21. root — of a word
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — humankind
  24. last — final

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