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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. shower — rain
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. race — humankind
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. race — a contest
  9. prune — to trim
  10. game — a match
  11. tube — a container
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. shower — to wash
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. kick — in football
  20. race — the arms race
  21. tube — the underground
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ruler — for measuring

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