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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. present — a gift
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — a container
  6. hand — in cards
  7. tube — the underground
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. toast — bread
  10. club — a group
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — a weight
  13. race — humankind
  14. club — for dancing
  15. present — there
  16. sharp — clever
  17. race — the arms race
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. present — the time now
  21. hand — help
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. club — for golf
  24. race — a contest

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