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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — a container
  7. race — humankind
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a grade
  17. race — a contest
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pit — in a race
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. pitch — completely
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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