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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: last · present · pitch · race · tear · squash · ruler · tube

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. tube — the underground
  3. present — a gift
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. last — finally
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. last — final
  12. squash — to crush
  13. present — there
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pitch — completely
  16. tear — to rip
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — the arms race
  21. last — to go on
  22. tube — a container
  23. squash — the sport
  24. ruler — a monarch

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