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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. object — to protest
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tube — a container
  5. press — a publisher
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. scale — in music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. race — the arms race
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. swing — in golf
  16. pass — a permit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. press — to push
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. swing — to play on

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