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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. squash — the sport
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. race — humankind
  6. current — electric
  7. bound — certain
  8. prune — to trim
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tube — a container
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — to crush
  13. current — happening now
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bound — tied together
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — obliged
  20. tube — the underground
  21. race — a contest
  22. current — of water
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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