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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. race — humankind
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rock — a stone
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — a container
  8. current — of water
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. race — the arms race
  11. race — a contest
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stock — goods
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. rock — music
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — happening now
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mine — for digging
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. current — electric

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