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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bound — obliged
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. race — the arms race
  14. bound — tied together
  15. tube — a container
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — humankind
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. saw — the tool
  20. race — a contest
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bound — certain

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