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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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. race — humankind
  8. pit — in a race
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — bread
  11. rule — a law
  12. shower — rain
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. race — the arms race
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — boats
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rule — government
  22. craft — a skill
  23. race — a contest
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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