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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — a position
  10. cue — a signal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tube — a container
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cue — a hint
  17. drill — a practice
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. race — the arms race
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. race — a contest
  22. race — humankind
  23. tube — the underground
  24. drill — army training

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