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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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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: fork · mouse · staff · dip · mate · race · land · tube

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. land — a country
  4. land — to come down
  5. race — humankind
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mate — to breed
  16. staff — employees
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — a container
  19. race — the arms race
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. race — a contest
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. mouse — for a computer

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