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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: race · tube · rule · foot · hand · fine · pass · ground

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. hand — in cards
  5. tube — the underground
  6. race — humankind
  7. tube — a container
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. hand — help
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. rule — government
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — a position
  19. pass — a permit
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fine — all right
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. pass — to spend time

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