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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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rock — music
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tube — a container
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. race — a contest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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