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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. race — a contest
  7. current — of water
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. race — humankind
  13. current — electric
  14. race — the arms race
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. kid — child
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. current — happening now

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