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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. land — to come down
  3. race — a contest
  4. club — a group
  5. land — ground
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. race — the arms race
  9. land — a country
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. race — humankind
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tube — the underground
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. club — for golf
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — a container
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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