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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. race — the arms race
  3. tube — a container
  4. march — the month
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. march — the month
  8. shower — to wash
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. race — a contest
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stock — goods
  13. march — music
  14. land — ground
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. shower — rain
  17. land — to come down
  18. stock — shares
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. race — humankind
  23. land — a country
  24. tube — in a tire

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