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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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Word bank
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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: fan · date · pit · race · tube · ground · staff · rush

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. ground — the earth
  3. race — humankind
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. race — the arms race
  6. ground — a position
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — hurry
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pit — a hole
  11. ground — crushed
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. staff — employees
  19. race — a contest
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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