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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 am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. race — a contest
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — the most important part
  5. rule — government
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. race — the arms race
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tube — the underground
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. key — in music
  18. race — humankind
  19. tube — a container
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — low music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bay — a horse colour

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