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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: tube · pop · race · deal · toast · mine · current · prune

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. toast — bread
  3. tube — a container
  4. current — happening now
  5. race — humankind
  6. pop — soda
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. prune — to trim
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. race — a contest
  17. current — of water
  18. pop — music
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pop — to visit
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mine — for digging
  24. race — the arms race

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