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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 116 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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. race — a contest
  3. charge — a price
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. clip — a video
  10. tube — the underground
  11. firm — decided
  12. firm — a company
  13. firm — steady
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. scale — size or range
  17. charge — in control
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. race — the arms race
  20. clip — to cut
  21. tube — a container
  22. race — humankind
  23. scale — in music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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