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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tube — the underground
  4. content — the amount
  5. bass — the fish
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — happy
  9. bass — low music
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. press — newspapers
  12. file — a document
  13. press — a publisher
  14. file — a tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — to drill
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. race — a contest
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — humankind
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. tube — a container
  23. press — to push
  24. bass — the instrument

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