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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. race — humankind
  3. mark — a grade
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pit — in a race
  8. squash — the sport
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stock — goods
  11. tube — the underground
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. tube — a container
  14. race — a contest
  15. pit — a hole
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bound — tied together
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stock — shares
  23. bound — certain
  24. squash — the vegetable

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